Access to health services to hard to reach areas

In many rural parts of Ekwendeni, access to basic health services is still a serious challenge, especially for pregnant women and children under five. For some families, the nearest health post is a three-hour walk away. That distance makes it almost impossible to keep up with antenatal care visits or routine child immunizations. With support from Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D), EHAP is helping bridge that gap through Mobile Outreach Clinics. Every week, trained health workers travel into hard-to-reach communities to deliver lifesaving care. Operating three days a week, the outreach clinics bring services directly to villages such as Emazinyeni, Chilukwa, Katula, Kabwanda, Embombeni, Dunduzu, Chilida, Baula, Luhomero, Ng’ongo, and Enyezini. Together, these efforts reach more than 4,000 people each year. The clinics offer antenatal care and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), under-five health services, family planning, HIV testing and counseling, cervical cancer screening, and malaria prevention through anti-malarials and mosquito nets.

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To deepen the impact, Theatre for Change volunteers use music, drama, and open dialogue to encourage early antenatal attendance, challenge harmful myths, and involve men more actively in maternal health. These interactive sessions create safe spaces where communities can learn, question, and shift attitudes in ways that strengthen family health. Beyond the outreach work, EHAP also provides compassionate home-based care for patients living with chronic or terminal illnesses. Together with community volunteers, our team visits bedridden and fragile patients at home, offering counselling, wound care, and essential medicines carried in drug kits. For patients managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or cancer, weekly clinics at Ekwendeni Hospital provide ongoing treatment and medication free of charge.